Not Ordinary, Beautiful
by Auroraas
Summary: Alistair reflects on his time with Elissa Cousland. Through love, loss, and slaying the Archdemon, they manage to stay irrevocably in adoration of each other. Alistair/FemCousland.


_A/N: This was written way back in 2010, when I had first discovered Dragon Age, about my first Warden. Sorry if she's a little Mary Sue-ish, I created her character when I was a lot younger after all. ;) She does not have any relation to the "Elissa" I plan to write about in the future, nor does she have any relation to Aedan from _A Witch and A Fool. _Hope you guys enjoy. :)_

Elissa Cousland is not ordinary. Alistair knows that from the moment he sets eyes on her. She has dark brown hair, and eyes as blue as the Amaranthine oceans. Her lips are ruby red (probably from biting them in agitation), and although he would normally suspect makeup, no cosmetic adorns her face.

As he gets to know her better when they, along with the apostate, go to Lothering, she opens up to him a little more. He learns that she's now an orphan and that she misses her family terribly. He knows what that's like.

_Duncan, Arl Eamon._

Strangely enough, she befriends Morrigan, though it was no simple task, and in camp, the two often stalk off to sit in front of the fire, Elissa giggling and the mage doubling over in laughter over things that he can only guess.

As they travel the world, Alistair becomes more and more captivated by her, until finally he gets the nerve to show her the small rose he picked back in Lothering with Leliana. The priestess had had her eyes set on the late teryn's daughter at that time (and now), and he knew, and knows, that she has feelings for Elissa as well.

The brunette beauty, instead often walks over to Alistair, as they trek wherever their latest quest takes them, engaging him in conversation and prying from him his past, looking completely enthralled with whatever mundane thing he can come up with.

Finally, they kiss. More precisely, he kisses her, and she kisses him back, shocked but able to move her lips.

And tongue.

He asks her to spend the night with him, sweating and digging his fingernails into his palms. She agrees, tentatively. They're both virgins, and he has no small amount of concern for her mental well-being when she tells him she'll come with him to his tent- sleeping with a man she met mere months ago, hands clasped over each others mouths so that they do not alert the others as to the nature of their activites; she must be insane, surely.

And after, that's the moment he knows, for certain, that he is in love. When she lies there, in only his old tattered Chantry blanket, tracing his chin and lips with her delicate fingers, gazing at him in adoration.

She's crazy for him, and he must admit, it boosts his ego significantly. Having her love is worth any looks that Leliana might give him.

Along with Leliana and himself, Morrigan loves the Warden too, though not in the same way. Their relationship is sisterly, which Alistair cannot comprehend to save his life. The witch is the most obnoxious...thing that he has ever met in his life. Elissa laughs at this, giving him a playful nudge and resting her head on his shoulder, her long hair tickling his neck.

Feelings of love or hate set aside, the group traverses Ferelden together, Leliana often telling tales of Orlais, much to the exasperation of Oghren. They recruit the Dalish (with the addition of a few former werewolves), the Orzamarrian Dwarves, and even the Circle of Magi. Being back with the Templars is surreal to him... but amusing. They're so uptight. At least, that's Morrigan's observation, to which Wynne simply shakes her head and looks away.

Then, suddenly, as if by magic, it's the Landsmeet and Elissa takes charge, doing the unthinkable. He is to be king, now, and Anora is to be his queen. He is furious with her afterwards, but she just stares and laughs at him. They will still be together, they decide, but no one can know.

"Yes, my king." she responds to this, mockingly, her forehead resting against his as she begins a slow assault of his lips with her own.

When they slay the Archdemon, he expects one of them to die, but then he looks over at Morrigan, who is, strangely, doubled over in some sort of pain, but sports an exuberant expression on her face, and remembers the night before.

He has a child, he realizes, looking over at his lover, who then proceeds to stab the dragon and everything goes black for a moment. After that, he wakes up to someone - he thinks it's Leliana - forcing a health potion to his lips. He thinks about his child with the maleficar, and wonders about him, her, whatever the gender. He doesn't dwell too long on that thought, though, as he can see Elissa sitting in the corner of the room, a blank expression on her face.

"Morrigan's gone." she says, looking up at him for a moment, and then looking down again.

He hadn't realized that she had loved the witch as much as she obviously did. Sisters, Elissa had called them. He remembers his sister, and he, too, feels blank, numb.

They both recover, mentally and physically, and Elissa moves into the palace with him. They do not share a bedchamber, but Elissa sneaks into his every night. He and Anora have a lavish wedding ceremony, before the subject of an heir comes up.

They try, he and Anora try for a baby, each hoping desperately for a son. But when Elissa gets pregnant without really trying, and doesn't miscarry, they consider it a miracle.

They have a girl, and all thoughts of a son disappear from their consciences. They name her Eleanor, although Elissa suggests Morgan jokingly, weak and tired as she is from her recent labor. Alistair simply pets her head and cringes. Too close to Morrigan.

Now, as he looks at her, their baby girl in Elissa's arms, Alistair can't help but think of the young girl he first saw, eyeshadow smudged, bags under her eyes, and think that she is just as beautiful now as when he first saw her.

And most definitely, not ordinary.

_Never ordinary._


End file.
